Cushion



Dec. 10, 1940. J. c. LAUFENBURG 2,224,353

CUSHION Filed March 23, 1939 I INVENTOR. I Jo/m NNA LAUREN BURG.

BY mi/W ATTORNEYS tients can Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES CUSHION Johanna C. Laufenburg, South Bend, Ind. Application March 23, 1939, Serial N 0. 263,645

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cushions, and more particularly to a cushion adapted to support the back of a bed-ridden patient while using a bed pan.

Various constructions of cushions of this particular character have been developed heretofore, but serious objections and handicaps to the successful use thereof have been encountered. One of the most serious objections to these prior cushions has been the lack of any effective connection between the same and the bed pan, making their separate handling, together with han dling of the patient, difiicult for an attendant or nurse. For instance, many bed-ridden pain caring for them, and if the bed pan and cushion require separate handling and positioning while the nurse holds the patient lifted, the work in connection therewith is more than the nurse can do and the cushion is not used. This is especially true by reason of the fact that in handling a bed pan alone, the patient may be rolled on his side, the bed pan held in laterally tilted position, and the patient then rolled back onto the pan. This method of handling a patient eliminates necessity of lifting the dead weight of the patient, but requires manipulation of the patient and pan concurrently. Consequently about the only way by which prior separate cushions could be used with bed pans was to first place the patient on the bed pan and then attempt to force the cushion to place, but this generally resulted in displacing the bed pan from required position unless two attendants were available to respectively lift the patient and manipulate the pan and cushion. The above conditions have resulted in almost uniform present hospital and sick room practice of use of a bed pan without any support for the back of the patient, which is often exceedingly painful to the patient. I

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a cushion adapted for readily detachable connection with a bed pan so that manipulation of the bed pan will similarly manipulate the cushion.

A further object is to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive bed pan cushion.

A further object is to provide a tapered cushion having one end thereof recessed to fit around the end of a bed pan with said recessed end having a thin margin integral therewith and overlaping the margin of the bed pan.

A further object is to provide a cushion adapted to fit partially around a bed pan with a thin move but slightly to assist the nurse.

portion overlapping thermargin of the bed pan and provided with means having a hooked engagement with the bed pan. Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims. H 5

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the cushion operatively associated with a bed pan. v I Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cushion. Fig. 3 ma top plan view ber for the cushion.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional'viewtaken on line 4-4 of Fig. v r

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral Ill designates a conventional bed-pan having an in'turned marginal flange II of su stantial width extending for the major portion of its perimeter and inclining downwardly andinwardly, asis convention in the art. t 1

The cushion I2 is preferably of greater-width than the bed pan and tapers longitudinally. The thick end of the cushion is recessed at I3 to provide a pair of narrow projections I4 to fit around the end portion of the bed pan provided with 25 flange II. The recessed end of the cushion is preferably somewhat thicker than the height of the bed pan. The cushion may be formed of any suitable material, the cover I5 preferably being formed of a washable material, such as rubberized cloth, and the filler material to constitute a firm support for the back of the patient. At the recess I3 the cushion has a thin inwardly projecting portion I! extending from its upper edge and adapted to overlap the flange I I of the bed pan. To form projection I], the upper and lower covers I5 are stitched together at I8 and project inwardly from said stitching in substantially arcuate shape. A metal plate I9 of arcuate shape having a plurality of small tabs 20 projecting from its inner 40 edge is inserted between the covers I5 at projection I1, and a thin layer of padding 2| is applied thereover. Plate I9 is bent to conform to the contour of flange II of the bed pan to seat solidly thereon. The inner edges of covers I5 are sewed or otherwise suitably secured together on a curve substantially outlined by the inner edge of tabs 20.

When the cushion has been constructed as above, each of the tabs 20 may be downwardly and outwardly angularly bent, and this produces a curved fold in the cloth at the inner end of portion I! which produces lip 22 adapted to engage under the inner edge of the flange II of 55 I6 being fairly compact of a reinforcing mem 1 0 the bed pan. The metal reinforcing plate I9 within portion l'l, coupled with lip 22 and tabs 20, serves to hold the parts normally in operative hooked engagement with the bed pan. Consequently, as the bed pan is manipulated, as to tilt the same laterally in placing the patient thereon, the cushion is tilted therewith so that it does not require individual manipulation. The metal plate I9 is preferably formed of spring material, so that the cushion may be separated from or applied to the pan very readily by the attendant when the tabs 20 are bent at the proper angle to give a spring look, without being fully return bent.

While the cushion is here illustrated as fabricated or built-up, it may obviously be formed by molding the same, as from sponge rubber. In a molded cushion the plate 19 might be eliminated, but its inclusion imbedded in the portion H as here illustrated is preferable to shape the same and strengthen the lip 22 suificiently to insure the effective spring lock of the cushion with the bed pan.

1. A cushion adapted for use with a bed pan having an upper inturned marginal flange, said cushion being of a height slightly greater than said pan and having a recessed end adapted to fit around a portion of said pan, and an inwardly directed portion of reduced thickness projecting from the upper portion of said cushion at said recess and adapted to rest on the fiange of said pan, and means carried by said reduced-thickness portion for detachable connection with the bed pan.

2, A cushion as defined inclaim 1 wherein said reduced thickness portion includes a substantially rigid base and yielding material covering said base.

3. A cushion as defined in claim 1,, wherein said connection means has a hooked engagement with the inner edge of the flange of the bed pan.

4. A cushion as defined in claim 1 wherein said reduced thickness portion includes a rigid insert having a plurality of spaced hook portions projecting therefrom to engage the inner edge of the flange of said bed pan.

5. A cushion adapted for use with a bed pan having an upper marginal flange, said cushion being recessed at one end to fit around a portion of said pan and having an inturned reduced thickness portion overlapping said flange, and means carried by said inturned portion for detachable interconnection with said bed pan.

6. A cushion as defined in claim 5 having a reinforcing member shaped to seat solidly on said flange and imbedded in said reduced thickness portion.

7. A cushion as defined in claim 5 having a metal plate within said reduced thickness portion, said plate having a plurality of spaced tabs projecting from the inner edge thereof and downwardly and outwardly bent for spring pressed hook engagement with the inner edge of said flange.

8. A cushion for use with a bed pan comprising a tapered yielding supporting body having a curved. end of a thickness at least equal to the height of said bed pan and fitting snugly around one. end and a portion of the sides of said bed pan, and a reduced thickness inwardly directed marginal portion projecting inwardly from said curved end to rest upon the margin of said pan.

9. A cushion as defined in claim 8 wherein said marginal portion is substantially rigid.

10. A cushion as defined in claim 8 wherein said marginal portion is substantially rigid and is bent at its inner edge for spring locking engagement with the margin of said pan.

ll. Acushion as defined in claim 8, and means for detachably connecting said cushion to said pan.

J OHANNA C. LAUFENB-URG. 

